American Girl in a Mexican Dress

Let's talk 4th of July essentials. This year, in addition to sunshine and apple pie, my must-have for Independence Day is the Mexican dress. Ironic, I suppose, but it makes total sense. It's lightweight, easy to accessorize, and comes in a variety of festive colors. Add a red lip, oversized sunnies, and a Panama hat and you'll be whistling G-d Bless America in no time. The Mexican dress doubles as a fab swimsuit coverup for your poolside BBQ and can even be dressed up with a snakeskin stiletto and gold statement earring for an evening soiree with fireworks. Can't make it to Mexico to score the perfect dress in time for the 4th? This particular dress is from ASOS, but I've found some fantastic and super inexpensive authentic, vintage ones at Etsy that have become my daily summer uniform. Check out some of my fave Mexican dress picks at the bottom of the post.

Now about these amazing sunglasses--oversized is an absolute necessity for a glamorous summer day and I am still obsessing the cat-eye trend. One of the most fabulous women on earth, Alyce Jones, of Adair Eyewear (the BEST eyewear store on the planet) in Fort Worth, Texas, introduced me to this ultra-chic Australian brand, Valley Eyewear, and I am completely smitten. These handcrafted sunglasses are probably the sexiest thing to come out of Australia since Miranda Kerr...next level. If you live in Fort Worth, stop by and meet fabulous Alyce and check them out!